Rosemary Ginn Sawyer, PE and Denise Couey Brown, PE ... · Littering Hauling Debris without proper...

Rosemary Ginn Sawyer, PE and Denise Couey Brown, PE October 2016

The Mobile Bay Watershed

Environmental Resources

The Mobile Bay Watershed encompasses 65% of the land area of the state of Alabama, along with portions of Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee.

The Watershed is a vast network of over 250 separate waterways, including rivers, bays, creeks, bayous, lakes, cutoffs, branches, and sloughs.

This Watershed is the 4th largest drainage basin in North America by flow volume and 1st in biodiversity.

Mobile is a Waterfront City

Mobile is a Historic City

Mobile is a City with Diverse

Environmental Resources

The Mobile Bay Watershed is home to both salt water and fresh water habitats. The Mobile River Delta and Mobile River Basin provide a strong foundation for recreational opportunities in the Mobile region.

Mobile is America’s Rainiest City

City Ranking

2013

Annual Rainfall

(in)

Annual Rain Days

1. Mobile 67 59 (2013)

2. Pensacola 65 56 (2013)

3. New Orleans 64 59 (2013)

41. Seattle 33 149 (avg.)

42. Portland 26 154 (avg.)

Mobile is a City waging a war on Litter.

We Needed to Make a Change!

www.robertxgillis.com

theind.com

This is why we need to keep litter

out of our waterways!

Water Quality

EPA’s Clean Water Act requires that a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) operate under a NPDES Permit.

The City of Mobile’s MS4 drains rainwater and all runoff into natural waterways. Litter on the streets goes through the storm drains into these waterways as “floatables” and is a major source of water pollution.

How are we combatting this litter issue?

We have a game plan.

WHEN IT RAINS IT DRAINS

Developed and Passed Ordinances Enforcing the Ordinances Educating the Public Preventing the Litter from

Reaching the Waterways Cleaning-up the Litter that does

Chapter 25 – Garbage, Litter & Lot Maintenance Prohibits

Littering Hauling Debris without proper cover Dumping trash or garbage improperly Sweeping or blowing litter, yard clippings, trash or leaves into

the streets and drains Placing trash on medians or sidewalks Placing trash out more than 48 hours prior to scheduled pick-up

Requires Furnishing & maintaining of receptacles Fines plus court costs for violations

Chapter 25 – Garbage, Litter & Lot Maintenance

Amendments All dumpsters are required to be labeled with placard listing

responsible party and contact information. After 2 violations for a dumpster overflowing, you are required

to enclose the dumpster. Property owner and occupant can be fined for violations of

Litter Ordinance – includes Rights-of-Way and sidewalk adjacent to the property.

Failure to keep the property clean is a violation of the litter ordinance.

Property owners, tenants, AND occupants are responsible for keeping parking lots clean.

Fine Structure revised: o $250 plus court costs for Knowing Violations of ordinance. o $100 plus court costs for other violations.

Amended to only allow Signs on Weekend From 4pm Friday to 8am Monday Subject to be fine if not removed Monday am

Only temporary signs - 24” x 24” or smaller , no higher

than 48” off of the ground Such as yard sale sign, real estate signs, political

signs, event signs, etc. Cannot interfere with line of sight visibility of

oncoming traffic

Never allowed attached to utility poles or trees

Never allowed in median

Chapter 54, Article V – Signs in Public Rights-Of-Way

Chapter 17 – Storm Water Management & Flood Control (as it pertains to Litter)

Works with the Litter and Sign Ordinances to prevent &

reduce the degradation and obstruction of waterways Interdepartmental SOP ~ lead department is assigned Prohibits Illicit discharges and pollutants, including litter Fines of $60 - $150 plus court costs Third offense ~ penalty determined by Judge Can be fined for each day violation continues

Chapter 17 – Storm Water Management & Flood Control (as it pertains to Litter/Water Quality)

“Dumpster Juice” Effective May, 2009,

Dumpsters and Car Washes were required tie to the sanitary sewer system on new developments or re-developments .

Effective December, 2012, the Zoning Ordinance was amended to reflect the “Dumpster Juice” requirement for dumpsters on Planning Commission applications.

Minimizing stormwater into the Sanitary Sewer with the “Dumpster Juice” Requirement

Partnership with MAWSS

Enforcing the Ordinances Municipal Enforcement

o Additional Inspectors o Investigate SROs o Routine Patrols o Issue Tickets

Police Department Litterbug Hotline 311 System - SROs Litter Hotspot Map

Enlarged the tickets and enhanced the content to include photographic evidence of the litter ordinance violation;

Required dumpster to be labeled with responsible party in control of dumpster

Keep Mobile Beautiful o Participates in local events o Classroom presentations o Recycling o Equipment for Clean-up events

Partnered with ALDOT for a local clean-up and lunch and learn

Partnerships with MBNEP, ACF and community environmental groups

Website www.stormwatermobile.org Brochures distributed Public Service Announcements – Clean Water

Future High School student forum Meetings and presentations

82 Events last year with KMB supplying equipment

One Clean Mobile Event

oPartnered with ALDOT

oNearly 80 participants

oCollected approximately (20) 30-gallon bags

#OneCleanMobile

22 Students participated from 10th & 11th grades

8 area High Schools

Two hours of discussion and feedback on litter issues and methods to reach high school students

September 20, 2016

Litter and Stormwater Awareness

Outreach coordinator visits schools weekly to discuss litter

Reached over 9000 students last year

Elementary children sign a pledge to not litter

#OneCleanMobile

Over 35,000 catch basins in City

Minimum of 5% of those cleaned each year

Removed 3990 CY of debris last year

Over 12,700 lbs. of material collected last year

Downtown streets swept weekly

Four (4) sweepers

Over 20 parades roll through downtown Mobile each year

As of early October, 137 total screens had been installed City-wide.

The Party that Goes Down the Drain

69 catch basin screens installed along Mardi Gras Parade Routes

ACF’s Eco-Team

Paper & cardboard

Plastics – 1 & 2

Glass

Steel & Aluminum cans

TYPICAL ITEMS

Christmas trees

Mardi Gras Beads

Packing Styrofoam

Christmas lights

Bubble Wrap

Fluorescent light bulbs

Flags

UNUSUAL ITEMS

LESS COMMON

Plastic grocery bags

Used motor oil & filters

Used cooking oil

Batteries

Toner cartridges

LID First Flush Requirement for

New Construction and Redevelopment Tier 1 Sites - 1 acre or greater

From ConTech website

Example: VortSentry HS Units used on MAA Taxiway Project

Focus on Capture

of Floatables

Each of 7 City Council District receiving devices

Locations selected based on Litter Hot Spot Map

Site Selection & Permitting

Located on Eslava Creek @ N. McVay Dr.

Arduous process to select & permit location

Purchased adjacent land for access

Photo credit - Gulf Equipment

Inspection & Maintenance

Emptied by loader after large rainfall or when ¼ CY of floatables are present

Track & estimate amount of litter removed

Inspected every few days & after a 2-year, 24 hour rain event (approx. 5.67”)

Two Litter Boats

oCarolina Skiff – launched December 2015

oJon boat

Patrol Dog River, Three Mile Creek and One Mile Creek

Track & estimate amount of litter removed

Avoid dangerous snakes & gators

Litter picked up before mowing

App used for contractor mowing to track issues

Inmates and those needing service hours through court system are used to pick up litter in the City maintained ROW

Litter

Mobile’s Efforts are Making a Difference!

Rosemary Ginn Sawyer, PE, CFM, CPMSM

sawyer@cityofmobile.org

(251) 208-7581

Denise Couey Brown, PE

denise.brown@cityofmobile.org

(251) 208-7529

City of Mobile Storm Water Webpage

www.stormwatermobile.org

Questions?